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Meeting Management
By
Douglas D. Piirto, Ph.D., RPF
November 2014
Objectives
• Why do we have meetings?
• Two or more people…
• What causes meetings to be
ineffective?
• Discuss attributes of a good
meeting.
• Managing effective meetings
involves:
– Planning
– Application
– Follow-up
Why Do We Have Meetings?
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Can you help me list some reasons:
The simple answer:
– Research has shown clearly that
groups make better
recommendations and if charged
to do so they make better
decisions…
– Effectively led groups are far more
productive than individuals
Meetings of All Kinds
Small Meetings
Larger Meetings
What Causes Meetings to be Ineffective?
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Low interest in the topic
Petty arguments
Side conversations
Lack of focus on topic
Not understanding group dynamics
Failure to identify meeting outcomes
Too many people at the meeting
The wrong people are at the meeting
Meeting not scheduled at the right time
Meeting in a bad location
Meeting approached too casually
Meeting not effectively planned
And many other reasons
Meeting Management Humor
Group Dynamics
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To be effective as a group leader for a
meeting, you must first be comfortable
being you…
– The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People
– Dale Carnegie “How to Win
Friends and Influence People”
There are differences between
individuals
Individuals act differently when in a
group
Groups Often Go Through Phases:
Orientation, Conflict, Emergence, Resolution
Conflict
Resolution
Managing Effective Meetings
• Planning
• Application
• Follow-up
Planning
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Use 80/20 rule; spend 80% of your time getting ready for the meeting and
20% attending/leading the meeting
Prepare a meeting cost assessment
Prepare an effective agenda (refer to handout)
– Participants
– Objectives of the meeting
– Meeting time
– Meeting location
Schedule the meeting at a good time i.e., early or mid morning
Find a good location for the meeting
Get participant buy-in before and at the start of the meeting to the
objectives, agenda, and process…
Prepare and distribute a meeting announcement
Set meeting room up ahead of time
Planning the Meeting
The Meeting Room and Location
Does Make a Difference
Application
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Use agenda effectively
Employ group dynamic procedures i.e., roles and process
Establish key positions e..g., facilitator, timekeeper, recorder…
Focus on behavior not attitudes; Request acceptable behavior; show
respect at all times
Behavior takes on different forms: initiating, clarifying, reacting, and
noncommunication
Sometimes to eliminate negative behavior…just ignore it. I wish it could be
that simple. The meeting leader must always keep the group focused…
Employ different discussion procedures to avoid groupthink (too agreeable)
or too hostile…
Establish a decision process
Use action statements to close discussion leading to recommendation
and/or decisions (refer to handout)…
Follow-up
• Write effective meeting minutes
• Develop action items
• Use minutes to set agenda for next
meeting
• Follow-up as appropriate
Summary
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Plan your meetings i.e., follow 80/20
rule
Develop a good meeting
announcement
Develop a good agenda
Review agenda and identify a
process…
Establish roles if needed
Follow the agenda
Understand group dynamics
Develop good minutes and action
items
Set agenda for next meeting …
Its about Teamwork and Fair Play